The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has ordered the arrest of former Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, following his failure to appear before lawmakers investigating alleged financial discrepancies totaling about ₦210 trillion in the company’s audited accounts between 2017 and 2023.
The committee, chaired by Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, said Kyari had repeatedly failed to honour invitations to explain 19 audit queries raised by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation concerning NNPC’s financial records. Lawmakers argued that the investigation could not continue to be delayed and voted overwhelmingly in support of issuing a warrant for his arrest.
During the hearing, some senators appealed for patience, citing reports that Kyari was undergoing medical treatment in Germany. However, other lawmakers insisted that no official medical documents had been submitted to justify his absence. Senator Victor Umeh moved the motion for Kyari’s arrest, while Deputy Committee Chairman Peter Nwaebonyi argued that granting another extension would further delay the committee’s work.
At the centre of the probe is an alleged ₦210 trillion discrepancy identified in NNPC’s audited financial statements. According to the Senate committee, the figure includes about ₦103 trillion recorded as accrued expenses and another ₦107 trillion listed as receivables, both of which lawmakers say have not been satisfactorily explained.
However, former NNPC Chief Financial Officer, Umar Ajiya Isa, rejected claims that ₦210 trillion was missing. He told lawmakers that NNPC generated approximately ₦54.5 trillion in total revenue during the period under review, making it impossible for ₦210 trillion to have disappeared. He described the allegations as misleading and maintained that audited accounts were published during their tenure.
The committee has directed that Kyari be brought before it to answer questions related to the audit findings, while other former NNPC executives have been ordered to reappear before lawmakers within two weeks as the investigation continues.
The Senate has not concluded that ₦210 trillion was stolen. The ongoing investigation is focused on obtaining explanations for accounting entries and audit queries flagged in NNPC’s financial statements between 2017 and 2023.
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